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Good displays that fit eyeglass frames are getting cheaper, even if you don’t find a need to use them. Display glasses The ones made by Xreal are not the same as the Meta smart glasses (At least, not yet:It is connected by cable to act as a mobile display for your devices and does not use artificial intelligence services. Many of them don’t have cameras on board either.
The named stranger New X By Xreal A01 Plus glasseswhich I’ve been trying this week, are less expensive than other Xreal glasses ($299, versus $449 and higher for the others). For the budget price, they’ve dropped a lot of the extras from other Xreal headsets, which I actually like and use it. There’s no adjustable screen size, no color-changing front lenses to block light, no display stabilizers that lock into place, and no widescreen or auto-transparency modes.
Instead, these glasses are simply plug-and-play USB-C micro OLED display glasses with 1080p resolution and a lightweight frame. In terms of features, it is on par with the similarly priced one TCL Ray New Air 4 Pro Glasses I recently tested.
However, Xreals are better for me. The virtual field of view of a fixed-distance display is larger (50 degrees vs. 47 degrees), and the brightness level is higher (1600 vs. 1200 nits). It’s also lighter (62g vs. 76g), so it sits easily on my face, even with prescription lenses inserted. The adjustable nose pads feel good too, and like TCL’s glasses, the arms angle in three clickable positions to help adjust the screen’s position if you need them.
Another fun feature of the Xreal glasses are the interchangeable face plates, which provide an additional look. The front of the mirror shade sunglasses in my collection snapped off easily, and I tried using a completely opaque black visor to completely block outside light for watching movies.
The A01 Plus glasses with the front faceplate broke off, so I tried another pair of shades on them. You can wear these without a face plate at all, but it will look weird.
Perhaps the downside is that the front face panels feel very light and flimsy. But they work well enough in a pinch.
Another downside is that blocking out light without a completely dark shade is a mixed bag. But the good news is that these Xreal glasses are noticeably brighter than other models, so they’ll more easily overpower a naturally lit room.
Because the on-board displays use angled, birdbath-style lenses (like the Xreal 1S) instead of the flat lens found on the One Pro (and Vitor’s monster), there’s more glare reflecting off things like my shirt with the bright logo.
There are a few built-in display settings, much like the TCL’s, offering a few display presets such as Cinema mode and Yellow Eye Care mode. The on-board speakers aren’t as good as in other Xreal One models, but they’re good in a pinch.
I use prescription lens inserts, which fit over the built-in displays.
I was also impressed by the built-in anti-shake mode, which replicates the mode found on high-end Xreal glasses. It delays and softens the movement of the screen slightly when you turn your head, making the feeling of holding the glasses in place less stressful when moving around. It’s not the same as “holding” the screen in place like you can do with the Xreal One models, but it’s a welcome addition missing from TCL’s glasses.
Watching movies looks good on it (Avatar: Fire and Ash looks lively, and Twin Peaks: The Return sometimes looks muddy in low-light scenes), but gaming looks better. With the glasses attached to the steam platform, Sektori and Baby Steps looked bold and energetic. There’s an HDR mode just like the TCL’s, but using it reduces the brightness of the glasses versus the perceived dynamic range. Not sure I would use it.
The packaging is more casual, but includes what you need (including extra nose pads for fit).
These new Xreals are fun and are clearly positioned as a simpler, more impulsive type of accessory to buy. Even the rocket-shaped box tries to be more casual (a hard carrying case for the glasses is also included, as well as a USB-C cable and two extra sets of nose pads for different occasions). One note for prescription lens wearers: These use a different system than other Xreal glasses.
For $299, it’s pretty impressive. But I like the additional display customization features and make great use of them Ixreal 1S And one pro. I would still choose these over the A01 glasses, but if you’re looking for a budget pick, these glasses really impress me.
